Of Love and Family
by AkiHimi
Summary: Family isn't just limited to blood, like rubber, its stretches far beyond that. /When i say love, I meant the love you have for your nakama, not the romantic kind. Also, this is a highschoolAU! and little, itty-bitty straw hat pirates. No ships. Just NAKAMASHIPS. ;)


**Chapter 1**

_Home_

_"A house is not a home until it contains food and fire for the mind and body."_

_-Benjamin Franklin_

Luffy squirmed in his seat as he grabbed his pen and fiddled around with it nervously as he glanced at the paper on his desk.

_Essay question worth fifty points: Please explain scientifically how man can create their own "zombies" (alive or not) by patching up bits and pieces of human and/or animal flesh and bones together. Explain also the importance of not having organs in these bodies as well as how the "zombies" could live without the need of blood, organs and living tissues. _

He hated biology class. He may be the class idiot, but he knew that there was definitely no way they could create a zombie without adding living organs. Didn't the teacher himself explain that "blood is the source of life", and that "every organ in the human body co-exists with each other to give life to a being." Luffy absentmindedly scratched the small scar he had beneath his left eye. He was willing to bet his lunch that his teacher just made all that up to confuse them. Zombies? How can people even make those things? Don't they go against the laws of biology or something?

Luffy glanced out the window and thought about what he would do once class is over. Supernova Academy only has half-day classes. Be it the whole morning or the whole afternoon, it's only ever half-day. He looked at his watch and sighed silently. Twenty minutes till class ends. Fifty awful minutes… Though… Luffy sat up and grinned. Mr. Moria did say that those who are done with the quiz can pass their paper and head home. So far only that weird pink goth girl Perry… Perone… Periwinkle? Luffy couldn't quite remember her name, but so far, only she and Torao, his friend that wears thick eyeliners to hide his obvious eye bags with the hard to pronounce name were able to finish. The rest of them are still trying to figure out how to answer their teacher's impossible questions.

Sitting up straight and cracking his knuckles, Luffy grabbed his pen and started on his essay. He knew he'd probably fail, but he'd just have to make up for it like he usually does in lab activities and extra credit.

_Making zombies from random skin and bones make no sense._ He wrote. _It's like making a meat-dish using nothing but vegetables. _Ah, meat. Lunch is, he looks at his watch, forty-seven minutes away. He can't wait to finish this essay already and head home. He taps his pen against his cheek. _You can't create a zombie because zombies are supposed to be dead people who live again. So if you make zombies, then you're making living-dead people, which really makes no sense, because if you're gonna do that, then why bother making one when you can dig one right out of the graveyard? And zombies can obviously live without the need of blood, organs and living tissues because they're already dead to begin with._

Satisfied with his short, but straight to the point essay, he stands up, puts his paper on Moria's desk and bolted out the door before anyone could stop him. He knew he was probably gonna get in trouble for getting another low grade in that class, but what does it matter, as long as he passes? See, in Supernova Academy, low grades equivalent from 78-83 over a total grade 100, where as the passing grade is 50. Except since Luffy is in the star class for the best of the best, the passing grade is 75. So yeah he wouldn't need to worry about that.

Luffy skidded to stop when he reached the door to his apartment. It was a sort of small, five room unit, complete with a kitchen, a living room, a main bedroom, a balcony and a bathroom. See? Five rooms. He rapped the door five times and banged it twice, a code he and his little friends made up to make sure no strangers got into the house while Luffy was away.

The door swung open to reveal a little grinning boy with blue eyes and a curtain of blonde hair that fell just a little bit below his left cheek, covering his other eye.

"Luffy! You're late! Everyone already ate, but I was able to save a lot for you!" he beamed, proud at his little accomplishment. Luffy smiled back at him and ruffled the boy's hair while shutting the door behind him and locking it.

"Are Nami and Robin here yet?" Luffy asked as he went to the kitchen to grab one of the many sandwiches the blonde kid made. "Ah, these are as great as ever Sanji!" He chewed happily and shoved a couple more sandwiches in his mouth.

"The girls are still in the library with Professor Clover. I brought them their lunch a while ago so you don't have to worry and—" Sanji was cut of as Luffy suddenly lifted him up by the shoulders.

"Sanji! I thought I told you to stay inside the apartment!" Luffy yelled, spraying bits of bread, meat, and other food particles on the poor kid's face. "I told you not to cross the street on your own!"

"He didn't exactly go on his own," came a small voice from behind Luffy. "I went with him."

"Zoro?" Luffy whirled around to face another small boy, this time with green hair and onyx eyes looking at him seriously with his little arms crossed. Luffy looked at the both of them and slowly placed Sanji down. "When I said don't cross the street on your own, I meant don't cross the street without me or Ace, or any sensible adult with you."

"Now we know," Zoro shrugged and walked back inside the main bedroom, leaving Luffy and Sanji alone.

"Sorry, Luffy. I looked both ways!" Sanji tried to say. "I made sure there were no cars before crossing. I'm a big boy now Luffy."

"I know you are Sanji," Luffy sighed and went back to his sandwiches. "I… I overreacted, I'm sorry. See, the last time…"

"It's okay Luffy. I'm sorry too. But what happened last time won't happen again," the little cook said with a determined face and held out his pinky, a sign to show that he was serious about keeping his word. "We'll be very careful Luffy, we promise."

"It's a promise then," Luffy wrapped his pinky around Sanji's and grinned. He continued to eat whatever's left on the table while Sanji washed the dishes.

—

A/N: Welcome to yet another AU!fic I'm making because I'm so stressed from college right now! *cues applause and cheers* So anyway this is gonna be a schoolAU+Mugiwara Family AU so yeah! This chapter doesn't say much but you'll find out more about the '_kids'_ soon enough~ :D

Oh and the idea was inspired by this pic:

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Just replace actual dots and remove the spaces~ :))


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